Improvement in machines for shaping solid colors for printing



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c. 31 0. RADDE. MACHINE FOR smmim SOLID COLORS FOR PRINTING. No.189,654. Patented April 17, 1877.

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Z Sheets-SheetZ. O. H. O. RADDE. MACHINE FOR SHAPING SOLID COLORS FORPRINTING. No. 189,554. Patented Apri1'17. 1877.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Qrrrcn CARL H. O. RADDE, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR SHAPING SOLID COLORS FOR PRINTING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,654, dated April17, 1877; application filed January 17,1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HEINRICH Orr'ro RADDE, of Hamburg, in theEmpire of Germany, merchant, have invented a new and useful ImprovedMachine for Shaping Solid Colors for Printing, which improvement isfully set forth in the following specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

The object of the invention is to facilitate the reproduction, inquantity, of copies of pietures,or representations having varieties ofcolors-ortints, the colors having been severally mixed with suitablecomposition that will enable each to be cut, molded, or shaped to anydesired form, such as the ultimate pattern may demand; and these formsbeing then grouped and united together, as hereinafter described, intosuch relation with each other, in a suitable frame or holder, as, whenso combined or grouped, to form on the surface, as well as through themass of composition, from its top to bottom, a picture orrepresentation, and from which, by the aid of a suitable press andappliances, copies may be readily obtained upon paper, or other suitablefabric or material prepared to receive such impressions.

The coloring matter I employ is prepared so as to be of a comparativelysolid consistency when cold, and to be readily reducible to a fluidstate by heat-such, for instance, as that described in my Patent N 0.186,163, dated January 9, 1877. k

The heat I employ is that of a jet or jets of gas; but other clean heatmay be employed.

The various colors, tints, or shades of this printing compositionnecessary to form the variegated representation are severally broughtinto close juxtaposition with each other, so as, when combined, toproduce the representation, and this aggregated body of parti-coloredmatter is to be of one uniform thickness, the pattern extending allthrough such thicknose.

The respective portions of colored matter are collected in a frame inform adapted to the result desired,'and of depth corresponding with thethickness of the required combined mass, and I proceed as follows:

Supposing the ground or body of the picture to be black, I proceed tofill in this frame with the black color to a convenient extent, aided byother temporary inclosing-strips or border-pieces. I then leave thatportion to solidify, and then, having traced thereon the outline of thepicture, or portion of picture bordering on such black portion orportions of the groundwork, I, by means of a sharp knife, or othersuitable instrument, cut away the black color to such outline invertical (1i rection that its form may be uniform throughout itsthickness-that is, from top to bottom. I then apply another temporaryWall or boundary-plate at a distance near the color so last applied, andcut to shape and corresponding with' the extent of color to be used nextsuch ground, and I fill into the space now formed some composition ofthe color or tint desired in a fluid state, as before, and allow that tosolidify, when I remove therefrom the temporary boundary, and by thecutter, as before, reduce such coloring matter to the extent desired,and so on with every color, tint, or shade, step by step, until thewhole desired representation, with its border, is obtained in the frame,when there will be formed, not only on the surface, but at every portionof the thickness of the mass, a corresponding representation.

Apparatus such as I employ is represented by plan and end views atFigures 1 and 2.

As shown, the table a is of marble, made true on its upper surface. f isthe wooden frame. 0 represents the picture being produced in the bottomboard or granite or other plate in this frame, the bottom board orgranite plate a; being shown in section in Fig. 2, and in plan in Fig.1, where it will also be seen that its horizontal movement is controlledby screws f and nuts applied through the sides of the frame f. b is thesupport of the jointed links or part arms 1 2 3 of the frame (1, withits clamp d d", and the knife or cutter 01' carried thereby. The knifeor cutter 11' while capable of moving horizontally, is also capable ofworking vertically, so as to move up and down in the two holders orclamps d d". The lower of these clamps d" rests upon a littleprojection, d fastened on the shaft of the knife, and which serves as anadditional support for securing its more exact horizontal movement.

The frame f, and parts thereof brought into contact with the fluidcomposition of coloring matters, I form of wood, and I generally usepear-tree for the purpose, satura ed by boiling in glycerine.

The depth or thickness of coloring matter at any time produced may bevaried. To facilitate this operation a suitable wooden frame,

is employed. Into this frame f I place grate-work 9, either of wood orcast-iron; and the grate g itself is capable of sliding up and down,according to convenience, regulated by means of screws g, carrying withit a granite or other suitable slab or board, :0, which it supports.This granite or other suitable board a: is fastened to the grate g, withcapability of regulation, by temporary screws f passing through thesides of the frame f to the edges of the board .10, and is the bottomsupport, upon which the color is poured or cast.

The surface of the bottom board or granite or other plate a: should beoiled and varnished with copal varnish before the color is poured orplaced on it.

It is important that all the different portions of coloring matteremployed be of the same density, as nearly as possible, in order toinsure that the same amount of coloring matter be taken by the paper orother material printed With each impression from all the colors formingthe printing-surface for the time employed.

The knife or cutting-instrument, d', I employ for obtaining the correctoutlines of the respective portions of coloring matter is applied to aholder, 0, which is held in clamps d d, affixed to, or formed on, theends of one of three links or joints, 1 2 3, jointed together, withcapability of freely moving on strong steel points z in steel linings.The last or hindmost of these combined links, 3, is fast ened to astrong vertical shaft, b,.fastened in the middle of the hack of thewooden frame f or other suitable position. The first or foremost of thelinks or jointed parts, 1, as shown, ends in two holders or noses, d d,which, when opened, receive the shaft or holder 0 and cutter or knifed', and, when closed, still admit of its freely moving not only invarious directions to follow horizontally the course of the form for thetime to be obtained, but also vertically to the depth desired; and insome cases the cutter for the time employed may itself be so shaped asto take the form or contour of the cutting desired to be produced, suchshaped cutter having a piston or clearer, to clear itself after eachcutting.

The holders or shafts c, as well as the knives or cutters d, are readilychangeable, as required; and to insure their correct vertical action,they are provided with spirit or other liquid levels.

The upper edge fot the upper portion of the frame f is plated withmetal, to sustain the horizontal cutter or leveler l, hereinafterdescribed.

It is desirable, as the respective masses of colored matter areaccumulated, to level the upper surface of them, to facilitate theobtaining of correct outlines of the parts to be cut for the nextportions of composition.

For this purpose I find it convenient to use a bar, 1, (shown by planview, Fig.3, and end view, Fig. 4,) the section of which is prismatic ortriangular, as thereby three cutting edges, 4 5 6, are obtained, eitherof which may be used; and this cutter-bar Z is moved to and fro on theupper edge f of the frame f and on the coloring matter, to reduce suchcoloring matter to a uniform or level surface.

The prismatic or triangular bar is provided with a handle, t, at eachend thereof, for facility of operation.

To insure correct outlines of the various parts being obtained I employa transparent medium adapted to receive and retain slight indentations,produced, as desired, by a finepointed instrument. I fill theseindentations with powdered charcoal or other suitable matter; and then,by turning over such surface of this transparent medium upon thecoloring matter in the frame, and pressing gently the back of the partlast traced, the powder or other suitable matter will be laid onto thecoloring matter, to serve as a guide for the cutting of it.

The transparent medium I employ for this purpose is composed of thickcollodiou, with ricinus oil, in the proportion of twenty parts of theformer to one of the latter, or thereabout, reduced to the requiredthickness by being laid on a glass plate.

This medium is, in use, held in a frame which is at once capable offitting both the frame holding the original and that containing thecolors being combined for the printing of copies.

When the picture is completed upon the granite or other suitable slab orboard, a thin wooden frame, of exactlythe dimensions of the granite slabor board, and sufiiciently high to protect the entire thickness of thecolored mass, is placed over the block or cake, and in this state it isremoved to the press.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a machine for shapingand cutting to shape a printing material composed of aggregatedparti-colors, representing a predetermined pattern, the combination,with a knifesupporting mechanism, of a slab for supporting the colorcomposition, and adjusting devices, substantially as described, forregulating the position of such slab and the grate upon which it rests,all as shown and set forth.

2. In combination with the frame and slab adapted for holding the colorcomposition, a

knife-supporting mechanism, substantially as described, having capacityfor a .universal movement horizontally, and carrying a knife or cutterfor trimming the composition, the

combination being substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL HEINRICH OTTO RADDE.

Witnesses:

PAUL MoLLnn, H. SCHRADEB.

